After a solid few weeks of Fantasy Football advice, we had been hoping to end the campaign with plenty of positivity, but it's fair to say that we had a bit of a shocker last weekend. We correctly advised you to avoid Harry Kane and Robert Green, but as far as scoring points went, we fell considerably short.
We perhaps let our heart overrule our head when predicting that Steven Gerrard would enjoy a fairytale final game at Anfield, while we felt as though we had good reason to select the improving Aleksandar Kolarov and usually-impressive Alexis Sanchez, but neither followed up the form that they had produced earlier in the month.
Below, Sports Mole makes the final six selections of the season as the 23rd instalment of the Premier League draws to a close.
Who to pick
1. Christian Benteke
Aston Villa may have suffered a hammering at the hands of Southampton last weekend, but Christian Benteke retained his tag as the in-form forward in the Premier League with another cool finish inside the penalty area. His consolation effort took his recent tally to 13 strikes in as many games and although his place in the starting lineup for the FA Cup final is already assured, he will be eager to overtake the likes of Eden Hazard, Olivier Giroud and Saido Berahino in the top goalscorer lists. A home fixture against an already-relegated Burnley gives him that opportunity, and with the Belgian having only failed to score in four matches since the end of February, it's difficult to back against him adding to his 16 goals for the season.
2. Ashley Young
© Getty Images
After a poor season under David Moyes, it appeared a certainty that Ashley Young would be allowed to leave Manchester United after the arrival of Louis van Gaal, but the Dutch coach has instigated an impressive turnaround from the winger. Young may have only netted twice in 28 games this season but alongside Juan Mata, he has undoubtedly been United's biggest threat when it comes to creating goals and he established himself as one of the first names on the teamsheet. His goal tally is nothing to shout about, but against a Hull City side that will need to push forward for three points, Young could be given the opportunity to exploit the gaps left in the Tigers defence.
3. Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard is fully deserving of the individual accolades that he has picked up for helping Chelsea to the Premier League title, but his contribution in front of goal has dropped off over the past six weeks. The Belgian has only scored once from open play in eight outings, something he may be keen to put right against Sunderland this weekend. The Blues could be forgiven for producing a below-par display against West Bromwich Albion on Monday, but that will only result in Jose Mourinho demanding an improvement in front of their own fans and with the Black Cats having already achieved survival, they could be there for the taking at Stamford Bridge.
Who to avoid
1. Olivier Giroud
Over the course of the season, Olivier Giroud has netted 18 goals in 34 games in all competitions for Arsenal, but that record doesn't tell the whole story. Despite his lack of work-rate, the French forward has often justified his selection with his return in the final third, but after failing to net for the seventh successive game against Sunderland on Wednesday night, the 28-year-old has come in for plenty of criticism from his own supporters who are demanding a change in attack. It remains to be seen whether Arsene Wenger will bow to calls from the Gunners fans, but Giroud's confidence appears to be at an all-time low ahead of the club's final game of the season with West Bromwich Albion.
2. Raheem Sterling
© Getty Images
After a stellar campaign for Liverpool last year, Raheem Sterling appeared settled on Merseyside and ready to take the next steps to becoming an Anfield legend. However, things have quickly turned sour, with the 20-year-old reportedly pushing for a departure from the club in the summer, despite Liverpool's insistence that he won't be going anywhere. Since rumours of his discontent emerged earlier this year, the winger has netted just once in 15 games and with so much attention surrounding his future, it's possible that Brendan Rodgers may decide to take him out of the spotlight for Sunday's visit to Stoke City.
3. Winston Reid
Since they went into freefall down the Premier League table, we've taken the opportunity to back any team in the top flight to keep a clean sheet against Newcastle United, but we are going to go against that trend this week. Not only do we expect the Magpies to rise to the occasion for their biggest fixture in six years, we also don't hold much confidence in West Ham United having the motivation to provide resistance to what should be a high-tempo display from the home side. If reports are to be believed, manager Sam Allardyce seems all but gone at Upton Park and it wouldn't come as a huge surprise if Newcastle grind out the win that they require to guarantee survival
